Three months after Scott Simpson departed his role as president/CEO of California's Credit Unions and Nevada's Credit Unions to take the helm at America's Credit Unions, the two state trade associations announced their next leader: Jeremy Empol, who will take the reins on March 9, 2026.
Empol is an alumnus of California's Credit Unions and Nevada's Credit Unions, having previously served the organizations for more than 16 years as SVP of federal government affairs when they were known as the California & Nevada Credit Union Leagues. In that role, he advocated on behalf of credit unions and their members at the federal level.
Most recently, Empol served as SVP of public affairs and industry outreach for the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, where he led government relations and education initiatives across California, Nevada and Arizona.
Empol's selection was made by the Boards of Directors of both state associations following a comprehensive national search conducted by Korn Ferry.
"Jeremy's experience, leadership and deep commitment to our industry make him the right choice to lead California's Credit Unions into the future," Donna Bland, chair of California's Credit Unions and president/CEO of the $21.4 billion, Sacramento, Calif.-based Golden 1 Credit Union, said. "His vision and energy will help credit unions continue to thrive while delivering exceptional value to their members."
Earlier in his career, Empol worked on Capitol Hill for members of Congress, including Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.) and Max Sandlin (D-Texas), and supported federal campaigns for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and former Vice President Al Gore. He holds a master of arts in government from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of California, Davis.
Scott Arkills, chair of Nevada's Credit Unions and president/CEO of Silver State Schools Credit Union ($1.3 billion, Las Vegas), said, "We are thrilled to welcome Jeremy to this role. His collaborative approach and deep understanding of the credit union landscape will strengthen the partnership between Nevada and California credit unions and support innovation and growth across both states."
Lucy Ito, former president/CEO of the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS), has been serving as interim president/CEO of California's Credit Unions and Nevada's Credit Unions since Simpson's departure on Oct. 31, 2025.
"It has been a privilege to serve in the interim role, and I am excited to welcome Jeremy as he steps into this position," Ito said. "His passion for credit unions and his extensive experience will ensure a seamless transition and a strong future for our members and staff."
Reactions to Empol's appointment from around the industry included this comment from DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak: "We congratulate Jeremy Empol on this well-deserved appointment and look forward to working closely with him, the League and our members to address the key issues that impact the credit union movement as a whole. His leadership comes at an important time as we work together to strengthen advocacy, collaboration and representation across the credit union community."
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